Product Description

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Ben Rhodes
a AudioPhile

Date Reviewed: January 18, 2011

Bottom Line:

I bought the unit in Montreal (Can.) some two years ago. I wanted a tube amp that wouldn't cost too much si when I saw this at the Montreal adio show I decided that I needed to go ear it at the retailer's. The amp's sound is simply gorgeous. I listen mainly to classical, from string quartetts to full symphonic and the Cronus just get things right in terms of sound. Deep, solid and fast bass, which came as a surprise with EL34s, sweet and airy mids, deep soundstage, well I guess you get the picture, it sounds prety good. The phono stage is ok but somehow very noisy. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to put it straight besides the output transfos. The phone jack works but doesn't turn the speaker output completely off so what you ear from your cans get polluted by what comes out of the speakers. My dealer told me it was made to work like this. Not a real problem for me since I'm ot big on cans.

As far as reliability is concerned, I've had my fair share of problems. First, the on/off switch stopped working. I couldn't turn the unit off. First visit to the dealer just a few months after purchasing. A few more months later, one of the stock output tubes goes out in flames (litteraly) and damages parts on the circuit boards. I then learn that the warranty is not valid in Canada. I had the amp repaired (almost 300$) and it worked very well for a while until the right channel died. Output tubes are OK, fuses are OK, input tubes are OK... guess it's gonna be back to the shop. I'm very dispointed with the quality of my unit. Did I buy a lemon? Reading the other reviews, it seems to be the case. Nevertheless, Canadian buyers should be aware that if they buy a deffective unit, they should be prepared to pay. By the way, sending it back to the company for service is a very expensive option and it may involve some hazardous shipping.

My rating is low because of the reliability problems I experienced with my unit. If it hadn't been the case, I would have given it a much higher rating.

I bought the Cronus almost two years ago from Larry at Hollywood Sound in Florida. The amp has been very reliable and its sound is getting better with age. It works well with various speakers such as Spendor SP100, ProAc Response 2.5, Silverline Audio Preludes and for the past year with the B&W CM1 monitors. It also sounds very good using my AKG 701 headphones and the phono stage is quite good especially with the VPI Aries Scout Turntable.
I've done some tube rolling as well but I've always ended up using the original tubes the amp came with from Rogue Audio. The amp has a very wide soundstage with realistic height and depth of stage when the recordings have such. Resolution and transparency are good which allows one to hear the differences between various cables and sources. To date I've found that the Discovery Signature interconnect from the source to the Cronus with the Audience Conductor speaker cable to the B&Ws gave the best performance with the music that I listen too which is mainly Jazz with some Classical, R&B, Rock and Reggae thrown in for good measure. It just sounds natural and well balanced.
The Cronus has to be the best value integrated amp on the market when you consider the build quality, features, flexibility and most important, the excellent sound that comes from it. If you are entering into the world of HiFi, the Rogue Audio Cronus is a great place to start building a simple, musical system.
Very highly recommended!

I had a great Denon Hifi String disc and this amp really makes a huge different the first time I replace my previous solid state Cambridge Audio azur 840A. I've listened to that disc a million times and I know all the bits from my original setting. All of a sudden, everything was so transparent and the soundstage was so much wider and deeper. All the strings movement and vibrations come out vividly and not only the mid but also the highs also stands out. I didn't expect a tube amp with such a clarity in the first few minutes! If you want to enter the world of HiFi, this is really a giant step without breaking the bank.

After first reviewing all the integrated tube amplifiers from various audio companies like Manley, Cary, Audio Research, etc, I chose the Rogue Cronus amplifier. Beyond the fact that its present price just blows all those other amps out of the water, it has the most powerful yet clean signal of them all. The closest one in comparison is the Audio Research gear but it is at least $2000 more. The Stingray only was 40 wpc (50 is a stretch when you have the EL84 output tubes) and no remote. The Cary Sli-80 which I bought twice already over the years is sweeter with jazz and vocals but too colored in the midrange and the bass just noticeabley rolls off and that has killed it for me with Rock music. Conversely, the Rogue has the most authoritative bass extension of all these amps I heard.
Also, it has a very decent built-in phono preamp with additional gain to the gain from the preamp itself.
The remote is solid. After some use ot it, I got the hang of how to control the gain on it by a slight press and slide finger motion to it.
It can use a variety of output tubes: EL34, KT77, KT88s, etc.
Also, Mark O'brien who is the CEO of Rogue is a very friendly and courteous gent who answered all my questions before and after the purchase of the great sounding amp!
I was unable to hear the VTL-I85 but that amp only uses the EL34s and and my friends tell me that its sound it tipped more toward the highs. Since, my music is weighted evenly between Rock and then Jazz, I found the Cronus to the best amp to play my music.
I need to mention that the headphone section sounds just wonderful!
Mark O'brien told me it was designed to pass through the signal stage of the preamp and that is obviously why is sounds so nice.
For me to do better than the Cronus, I would just have to get the separates (Metis and Atlas)!
I asked Brian Kurtz of Sound Mind Audio what tube amps he had for sale and he asked me then what my speakers were and when I told him I had the Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs, then without hesitation he recommended the Rogue Cronus. It is really true that the Rogue and Vandies together are a great match!
Special thanks to everyone at Rogue who helped design this great amp and priced it at such an affordable level!

This is my first piece of tube gear and I have to say I'm impressed with both the "tube sound" and the Rogue Audio Cronos. For what I'm told is an entry level price point I'm very happy with the transition from solid state to tube, and very happy with the Cronos build and sound. It is a very transparent integrated amplifier that works magic with the music. The sound actually floats in the air, and there is an amazing absence of listening fatigue, even with headphones over extended listening periods. Customer service is also exceptional. Very personal and appreciative.